Muzzle brake



Oct. 15, 1957 H. A. MATSON EI'AL 2,809,560

' IUZZLE BRAKE Filed Dec. 15, 1953 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 g INVENTORS,

Herman AJ YEfl'. 5cm.

B Paul M.Neizerdzflw ATTORNEYS.

States Patent MUZZLE BRAKE Application December 15, 1953, Serial No. 398,456 4 Claims. (Cl. 8914) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see, 266) The invention described herein maybe manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to muzzle brakes and in particular to muzzle brakes which are designed to check the energy of gun recoil by utilizing the gases generated upon discharge of the piece. More particularly, the invention relates to muzzle brakes of the type wherein the blast of gases is directed radially of the longitudinal axis of the gun barrel and the force of resistance is directed in the direction of recoil. In the usual brake of this type there is considerable danger to the gun crew from blast gases. These gases blow backwards at great velocity and may cause serious damage to the weapon and crew. This blast will also obscure the target by impacting against dry ground thus raising dust clouds to prevent rapid repeat fire and causing serious discomfort to the crew.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a muzzle'brake to eliminate danger of injury to a gun-operating crew from gases generated by firing of a weapon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a muzzle brake to dissipate recoil energy and to act simultaneously as an anti-obscuration device.

Still another object of theinvention is to provide a muzzle brake of simple, yet rigid construction. 7

With these and other objects, which will be obvious from the specification, reference is made to the drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a gun barrel employing a muzzle brake constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal horizontal axial section of the muzzle brake separated from the gun,

Figure 4 is a front view of the muzzle brake,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a muzzle brake embodying a modified form of construction,

Figure 6 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 7 is a front view of the muzzle brake,

Figure 8 is a rear view thereof,

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section view taken along lines 9-9 on Figure 6, and,

Figure 10 is a side elevation of a modified form of a muzzle brake having elongated radial openings.

Referring now to the severalfigures wherein the preferred embodiment'is first explained, and wherein like parts'are designated by like reference characters, generally.

indicated by reference character 1 is the muzzle end of a weapon externally threaded as at 2. Located rearwardly of the thread 2 is aseries of serrations 3 cut in a peripheral band about the barrel for a purpose to be later described. Generally indicated at 4 is a substantially 'T-shaped muzzle brake fabricated from a single piece of metal stock, cut, bent back upon itself and welded as at 5 into a unitary structure. As best illustrated in Figure 2, the 'muzzle'brake comprises a forward concave Patented Oct. 15, 1957 2 portion 6 which acts as a single baffie surface. A rearwardly extending cylindrical portion 7 has internal threads 8 as is best shown in Figure 3. A pair of hollow shoulders substantially cylindrical in cross section, extend radially from the portion 7 of the muzzle brake at right angles to the axis of such portion and form passageways l1 and 12. The'outer rearward portions of the shoulders are extended to a greater length than the forwardportions and form a pair of cars 13 and 14 to act as protectors against back blast of the gases when the weapon is fired. The outer forward portion of the shoulders are cut back as at 9 and 10 to provide the optimum concave inner surface exposed to the gas blast emerging from the muzzle. vided in the forward portion 6 to permit free passage of a projectile.

A preferred form of securing the brake to the muzzle of a weapon is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The external threads 2 on the muzzle end of the barrel cooperate with the internal threads '8 of the brake. When the brake has been turned to the final position a key 16, provided with a foot 17 for engagement with the serrations 3, is slid into keyway 18 and is bolted as at 19 to prevent angular displacement due to shock.

In operation, the explosion of the charge generates gases which emerge from the muzzle at supersonic speed and expand in all directions. A portion of such gases follows the projectile through hole 15 and a shock front impinges upon the forward concave baffle portion 6 whereby the gases are violently refiected'rearwardly and outwardly. The rapid change in direction of the mass of gases breaks the shock front and absorbs a portion of the energy of recoil, and the rearward motion of the barrel is slowed. Since the angle of incidence of the gas blast is equal to the angle of reflection thereof the distal ends of portions 9, 10 and ears 13, 14 are positioned so that the high velocity gases impacting on the concave surface 6 cannot be reflected backward upon the gun crew, but a cone of safety is produced within extended lines connecting the ends of parts 9, 13 and 10, 14. Since most of the gases are diverted out to the sides of the brake the target is not obscured and dust clouds are not raised adjacent the crew.

A modified construction of our novel muzzle brake is illustrated in Figures 5 to 9 inclusive wherein it is desired to provide a larger concave baflie area for blast reaction and at the same time give an adequate cone of protec-' tion for the artillerymen. The shoulders 21 and 22 extending radially from the cylindrical portion 20 are not cut away at the forward end thereof as disclosed in the preferred embodiment but the ends are square cut and lie in planes parallel to the axis of such cylindrical portion. The shoulders fair down as at 23 and 24 into the cylindrical portion 20 and thereby with concave portion 6 form a through passage, as best seen in Figure 6, at right angles to the axis of the cylindrical portion for the exhaust of the gases. Bars 25 and 26 are welded, as at 27 and 28, to the portion 20 and extend the beforementioned passage on the rearward side thereof.

The operation of this modification is similar to that of the preferred form. The'gases of explosion follow the projectile out of the barrel and expand in all directions. A small portion thereof flow through projectile opening 15 and the remainder strike concave surface 6 and are reflected to flow out of the side passage thereby reducing the energy of recoil. The outstanding cars 25 and 26 provide the cone of safety from gas reflected from the extremities of concave portion 6.

In the foregoing embodiments it has been found that if the exit ports formed to the sides of the muzzle brake be too small then the choking effect reduces the volume of gases discharged therefrom with a resulting reduction A longitudinally aligned hole 15 is pro-.

of braking force and obscuration of the target from excess discharge through the projectile port. In Figure 10 is illustrated a method of enlarging such exit port area while maintaining the bore of the cylindrical member constant. Reference character 28 indicates such an exit port wherein the diameter of the cylindrical member 29 is fixed by the gun size. The longitudinal dimension is elongated substantially as shown into an elliptic shape which enlarges the exhaust area to obviate the choking difliculty.

It is apparent from the foregoing that we have invented a muzzle brake that will simultaneously protect the gun crew from back blast and act as an anti-obscuration device to permit greater rapidity of firing. The organization lends itself readily to mass production in that it is made from a single sheet of material and is easily adapted to any type of gun by applying thereto the modifications discussed above.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that adjustment of the shape and size of the members may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A muzzle brake for guns comprising a substantially T-shaped hollow body and forming a pair of laterally disposed shoulders providing passageways for the exit of blast gases, said shoulders extending laterally to a greater length at their rear faces than at their front faces, a forwardly disposed axial opening for exit of a projectile, and means carried by the rearward end of said brake for attachment to the muzzle end of a gun barrel.

2. A muzzle brake for guns comprising a cylindrical member, means carried by said member for attachment to the muzzle end of a gun barrel, a pair of cylindrical shoulders flaring outwardly at right angles to the said member, said shoulders being extended at their rearward faces to a greater length than at their forward faces for preventing back blasting of the gases expelled from said muzzle brake, and an axially disposed exit port for a projectile formed in the front portion of said brake.

3. In a muzzle brake, substantially as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cylindrical shoulders are cut back at their rearward portions and a pair of semi-cylindrical ears attached to said cylindrical member, substantially at right angles thereto.

4. A muzzle brake for guns comprising a body having a rearwardly extending mounting portion for securing said brake to the muzzle of a gun barrel, a laterally dis posed passageway formed in said body providing an exit for blast gases from the muzzle, said passageway having a front and a rear wall, and said rear Wall extending laterally a greater distance than said front wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,390,658 Towson Sept. 13, 1921 2,322,370 Lance June 22, 1943 2,348,114 Dow May 2, 1944 2,457,802 Bauer Jan. 4, 1949 

